Georgia grocery store chain settles federal religious discrimination lawsuit for $65,000

A Georgia Piggly Wiggly franchisee has settled a federal discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against an employee who asked for Sundays off for religious reasons, officials say.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on Monday that Reynolds IGA Foodliner, Inc. will pay $65,000 and provide other relief to settle the lawsuit.

According to the EEOC, the employee was hired as a deli clerk at a Hazlehurst Piggly Wiggly and asked to have Sundays off to observe the Sabbath. The employee's supervisor denied the request, saying that the store would have to give other employees the day off if they allowed her to do so.

The employee continued asking for the accommodation. The EEOC says she was fired by the company in January 2025, which the agency said was a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"Employers must thoughtfully consider each request for religious accommodation on an individual, case-by-case basis and otherwise make good-faith efforts to accommodate their employees' religious beliefs," said Darrell E. Graham, director of the EEOC's Atlanta District. "Employers must be aware of their obligations under federal law to provide reasonable religious accommodations absent undue hardship."

As part of the settlement, Reynolds IGA Foodliner will be required to update, clarify and disseminate its religious accommodation procedure, give specialized training to managers and other personnel about religious accommodation requests, and post a notice informing employees about the settlement and their rights.

The Georgia company must also provide the EEOC with reports regarding any future requests for religious accommodations and reports of religious discrimination.